


The Serenity That Quietly Grasped Your Heart

by ghoulrich



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Death. Lots of death., Despair, Friendship, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, In-game Dialogue, M/M, Slight TW for abuse, Slow Build, Some fluff... eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-05
Updated: 2015-04-29
Packaged: 2018-03-21 08:25:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3685173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghoulrich/pseuds/ghoulrich
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mynh Lavellan has only known one other person for his entire life -- his father. Other than that, he has had absolutely no contact with anyone. At all. How on earth does this recluse end up being hailed - by the scary humans, no less - as the 'Herald of Andraste'?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. withering eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, I haven't really written anything for about three years. I'm still a bit rusty, so please bear with me. If you're wondering about Mynh's (pronounced as Mihn) father's name, that won't come up until later. This is how Mynh looks like, if were curious (http://shuzei.deviantart.com/art/mynh-524123071)! So... yeah. This is pretty short because it's more of a warm-up than anything else. Hopefully I'll be able to write more substantial chapters later on. I hope you like it! Critiques welcome.

The older man looked up as the other elf approached; eyes flashing with barely concealed disdain. “Where have you been? It’s been hours. We should have moved on long ago. We’ve been in the Hinterlands for far too long, now.”

Mynh looked away, gritting his teeth in an effort to curb his growing anger. “There was a large group of hunters nearby--mercenaries, maybe? I didn’t really have time to watch. From what I saw, though, they looked well-armed. Human. They were scaring all of the other animals away with their heavy footsteps. I wasn’t able to hunt anything… father,” he replied, spitting the last word. He ran a hand through his matted black hair, sorely wanting to wash himself in the river. His hair was getting long as it was now shoulder length, and he made a quick mental note to cut it his soon as he got the chance. He doubted that he would have the time as his father had been sending him on dozens of errands these past few weeks. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had been able to sleep for more than four hours.

“Excuses? Again? You really are worthless,” Mynh’s father just snorted as he stood up and started gathering his supplies. After a few minutes, Mynh and his father were travelling again. They travelled lightly - only carrying the necessities such as their bows, arrows, knives, as well as some herbs and animal jerky. The two of them tried to live as much off of the land as possible. They had no real goal besides trying to avoid contact with anyone else, and so they spent their time wandering through the lands. Mynh had never really bothered to question his father’s motives anymore; then again, he never really wanted to be around his father.  
For as long as he could remember, they never had an amicable relationship. When Mynh was a child, his father would hit him whenever he made a mistake. Even now, his father would still strike him if he were angry enough. He had never complimented Mynh; only pointed out his flaws. The only things that he seemed to learn from his father were how to hunt, survive, and hate. Even if Mynh had wanted to leave, he would have absolutely no idea of how the rest of the world worked. He only had the stories that his father would tell him when he was younger; but he wasn’t sure if the world was really as terrible as his father had described it.  
As much as it pained Mynh to admit it, he knew that there was a part of him that loved his father. Even though his father had never once shown him love, he was really the only person that he actually knew. His father also taught him how to survive, which he reasoned ought to count for at least something. These were thoughts that he couldn’t afford to linger on, however, as it only made their arguments (and that was putting it lightly) more painful for him. After living with his father for over twenty-six years, he had learned that butting heads with his father would only cause more problems. At this point in his life, he realized that it would be better to just accept his situation as it was.

***

After travelling for about a month, Mynh’s father finally thought that they had found a good area to rest for the moment. They had made a lot of progress that day, and were now somewhere along the Storm Coast. He sat down at the base of one of the trees along the river and closed his eyes. “Alright, we’ll stay here for the night. Now go find some food. We’re running out of the druffalo jerky.” 

“...Yes, father,” Mynh sighed. He hadn’t slept in over two days, and he was nearly exhausted. But he knew that when his father told him to do something, there was no way that he would get out of it. His only consolation was that he would at least be able to sit down when he was out hunting. Without another word, Mynh turned and headed to where the trees were more clumped together so that he would have plenty of vantage points (and hiding places--should he need one) to choose from.

***

It was about midnight and Mynh had found a good spot in one of the trees to watch from. It was hard to stay focused when his eyes threatened to close every time he let his mind wander, but he was trying his best. So far, he had only been able to catch two fennec--which wasn’t very good, as they had little meat to offer. At this point, Mynh was frustrated and very tempted to just go to sleep right there on the thick branch that he was sitting on, but he knew his father would be livid if he took a break. Mynh was a talented archer, but there was only so much he could do when he had virtually no time to rest these past few days. He fought to keep his eyes open and to stay vigilant, but his exhaustion finally caught up with him. He felt his eyelids getting heavier and heavier with each passing moment, and there was nothing that he could do about it…

***

Mynh woke with a start. He had heard a loud rustling close to where he was sitting. Just then, an arrow flew towards him, barely missing the tip of his ear. He quickly stood up, looking frantically for the person that shot the arrow. Before he knew it, another arrow was shot towards him, this time lodging itself deep into the side of his left thigh. He bit back a yelp and slid down the base of the tree, nearly falling flat on the ground. It was hard for him to think clearly as his mind was still groggy from his recent nap, and his body was fighting for more time to rest. He tried to limp away as best as he could, but to no avail. A man had emerged from behind one of the trees and had managed to catch him in a choke hold. The man was a lot larger and a lot more muscular than Mynh, and all Mynh could do was bite down hard on the man’s arm.  
The man cried out, yelling something about a ‘knife ear’ before using one of his knees to strike the back of Mynh’s injured leg, making his legs buckle involuntarily. Mynh fell on his back and looked up to see the large man looking down on him with a wicked grin on his face, raising his foot to stomp on him. Mynh’s eyes flew around wildly, searching for a way to escape. 

Suddenly, another arrow whizzed by and impaled the larger man through the back of his head. The man’s eyes widened as he stumbled forward once before falling on top of Mynh, knocking the wind out of him. Mynh tried thrashing around beneath the limp body, but it was no use. No way… is this really how it ends? Not only was the man far too large for him, but his body had given up on him as well. The last thing he saw before blacking out was a human falling from a tree straight to the ground.


	2. another world

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... so this chapter has a lot of dialogue. It's a bit slow, but I promise that things will pick up within the next few chapters! I'm really trying to move things along, if you haven't already noticed. It'll still be quite some time before Mynh meets Dorian, though. I'd also like to apologize for the fact that I sometimes alternate between past tense and present tense. Sorry! I'm lazy. I'm also not sure when the next chapters will be posted since I'll be going on vacation pretty soon. Fortunately, I already have the next few chapters mapped out!

The sun’s warm rays shone directly on Mynh’s face through the small opening in the makeshift tent, forcing him to wake up. With a slight sigh, he rubbed his eyes as he willed himself to sit up. He felt horrible - as if someone had just dropped a pile of rocks on his head. He felt a dull pain on his left leg and looked down to see his thigh wrapped in a fresh bandage. Suddenly, the events of the night before came rushing back to him. He groaned as he stood up carefully and stumbled out of the tent.

Much to his surprise, Mynh was greeted by the sight of dozens of elves mingling around a clearing in the forest. From the clothes they were wearing and the markings on their faces, he deduced that these elves were from one of those roaming clans that he and his father had sometimes traded with. He was nervous as he had never been around an entire clan before; just one or two of the hunters. Mynh turned around, trying to figure out which way his father was staying. A hand gently grabbed his shoulder, causing him to jump. He quickly turned around to face an older woman with greying hair.

“What the…?” 

“No need to be afraid, da’len,” said the woman as she bowed her head. “I am Keeper Deshanna. What is your name, if I may ask?”

Mynh stared at the strange markings on his face, having never seen their markings up close. He had to stop himself from reaching out to touch them. Instead, Mynh crossed his arms and stayed silent, raising an eyebrow. 

The Keeper only smiled. “I cannot help you if you do not communicate with me. Please, da’len.”

Mynh continued to stare at her, afraid to break eye contact as he did not trust the old woman. After a moment, he spoke up. “Mynh. My name is Mynh.” His voice was gravelly from not having been used for quite some time. “Where am I?” His right hand instinctively moved to where he usually kept his knife. He panicked a bit when he didn’t find it there, instead willing himself to continue looking calm.

If Deshanna had noticed him fidgeting around, she made no indication of it. “We are Clan Lavellan, young one. We roam around these lands, looking out for each other while keeping out of trouble as best as we can,” she chuckled, as if suddenly remembering something. “Currently, we are just past Crestwood. It is our goal to head to the Hinterlands.”

Mynh’s eyebrows shot up. “Crestwood…?” he repeated. If he remembered correctly, he and his father were staying along the Storm Coast. He had not wandered that far from camp when he was ambushed.

“You have been asleep for quite some time,” said the Keeper, seeming to read Mynh’s mind. “One of my hunters happened to spot you being attacked by two men, and they stepped in to help you. She brought you to us so that we may nurse you back to health. Your injuries were not that severe, but you seemed to be severely exhausted. When was the last time that you slept?”

He looked away, trying to get a grasp on his current situation. “I… I thought it was my father that saved me,” he mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. A part of him was disappointed that it had not been his father that saved him. Mynh tried to mask his concern as tiredness and hoped that the woman would not notice. He waited a moment before turning to face Keeper Deshanna. “My father… where is he?”

The Keeper looked taken aback. “Your father? There was no one else with you when we found you, da’len, so we assumed that you were travelling alone. Why would your father leave you in such a dangerous area?”

Mynh shook his head. “My father trusted me--more or less. I could have handled those two had I not been so deprived of sleep. I must get back to him…” he looked down at his bare feet as he kicked the dirt around. “...he’s all I have.”

“All you have? Where are you from?”

He hesitated before responding. “Everywhere, really. I’ve spent my whole life travelling with my father. He’s the only one I’ve ever known. We tended to avoid everyone else. This…” he motioned to all of the other elves in the clearing, “this is all new to me. I have never been around this many people before. I’ve never spoken to anyone else, either.”

The Keeper eyed him curiously. “Truly? You are missing out on so much, da’len. Most Dalish keep to their own clans, but Clan Lavellan has been more open to interacting with the humans.” Deshanna placed her hands on her hips and as she looked Mynh up and down. Mynh felt uncomfortable; as if he were being silently judged. After a while, the Keeper spoke up. “Come to think of it, Mynh, we are heading to south to observe a meeting among the humans. You see, the templars and the mages have been fighting tirelessly for quite some time. Many innocent lives have been lost since the fighting started. The person whom the humans call their ‘Divine’ is holding a Conclave in an effort to finally put an end to this madness.”

Mynh scratched his head, unsure as to what the older woman was getting at. “And?”

“I suspect that this meeting will not only have an impact on the humans, but on everyone… I would be a fool to dismiss such an important event. I feel that this would be a good way for you to see the rest of our world. There is much to see - I think that this would be a good experience for you. We would not send you off on your own, of course. You will be accompanied by one of our own.”

He looked up at the Keeper, surprised by her straightforwardness. “I… thank you, but I really need to rest now. You have given me much to ponder. I will think on what you have said. I promise.”

“Of course, Mynh. Take as much time as you need,” the Keeper bowed her head once again before walking away.

Mynh turned around and stepped back into the small makeshift tent. He lied back down on his cot and stared straight ahead, twiddling his thumbs. His first instinct was to leave so that he could make his way back to his father, but a part of him was screaming--begging him not to return. Staying with his father had only made Mynh feel completely worthless; would it truly be for the best if he returned? Besides, as far as he knew, his father had not even bothered to search for him. Mynh had always been interested about what went on in the rest of the world. Perhaps this was his chance to see for himself.  
On the other hand, Mynh had absolutely no knowledge outside of the little world that he and his father lived in. To suddenly leave behind all that he has known--would that really be wise? It would be a significant change for him, and he suspected that his inexperience would surely get him in trouble later on. How would he be able to make it on his own?

_I suppose it’s worth a shot. How would I know if I could survive on my own if I don’t try?_

He had made up his mind.

Mynh was going to attend the Conclave.


	3. the road ahead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm not really sure how long this is since I wrote this entire chapter on my phone. I get car sick very easily so I wasn't able to write it all at once. I hope you guys will end up liking Shylisyrr, though! Her name is pronounced as shy-lihs-year, btw.

Mynh lay there for a hours fantasizing about all the things that he would be able to do once he was done with the whole Conclave business. He wondered if people would find him strange for being so... out of touch. His main concern was that he might not be able to socialize with anyone, as he had had no prior social interactions besides his father, who spoke little.   
These thoughts would have been discouraging if Mynh had not been so curious. He was excited to finally be able to interact with all of the things he could only watch from afar, if he had even seen them. Mynh had always had a fascination with the fennec, but his father never permitted Mynh to interact with the animals besides killing them for food. Ever since he was a child, Mynh's father had been training him to be a skilled hunter. The hours spent training, of course, had not been a complete waste. Mynh was a very fine hunter--when he had enough rest. Consequently, because of all the time he spent practicing his archery as well as how to properly skin animals and wield knives, Mynh had unknowingly given up his childhood. Now that he finally had the chance to do what he wanted, he was ecstatic.  
He was thankful that the Keeper had not expected him to stick around. She probably realized that he would be uncomfortable traveling with a group. He had no plans to stay with Clan Lavellan, as he still was not accustomed to being around that many people. Mynh had made up his mind to maintain a façade of indifference to hide the fact that he was also scared--he was afraid of what the world held in store for him.

A moment later, a woman's voice spoke up just outside of his tent. 

"May I come in?"

Before Mynh had time to say no, the woman stepped into his tent. She looked to be around the same age as him. The markings on her face were different from Deshanna's; hers were olive green vines that framed her face in a flattering way. Her auburn hair was pulled into a messy bun that looked as if it were about to come undone at any moment. Mynh wondered how much effort the woman put into tying her hair like that. 

She stood there staring at him, unblinking. "Are you going to eat your food or are you just going to sit there gawking?"

Mynh was at a momentary loss for words as the woman's crisp brown eyes seemed to bore into him, as if she could see through his mask. He fidgeted nervously before finally breaking eye contact to eye the bowl of food that she held in her hand. As he looked at the bowl, his stomach growled. Mynh wondered when was the last time that he ate a decent meal that didn't consist of old druffalo jerky.

"Oh... yes. Thank you." Mynh bowed his head slightly before standing up to reach for the bowl of food.

As he began to dig into the greyish mush of food and what he determined to be cooked nug meat from the sweet taste of it, Mynh had momentarily forgotten the woman that was still standing there.

The woman waited for him to swallow the bit of food that he had just spooned into his mouth before speaking again. 

"What's your name?"

"You can ask your Keeper." Mynh wasn't sure what to think of this woman, so he decided to be on his guard.

The other elf merely snorted. "What is this, some tough-guy-act? You're not fooling anyone, kid." 

At that remark Mynh raised a questioning eyebrow since they seemed to be about the same age.   
_How am I a 'kid'?_   
He thought it wise not to question it, however, and remained silent.

She rolled her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips as she moved to lean against the carved piece of wood which stood in the middle that served to prop the small tent up. "Well, my name is Shylisyrr. I was the one that saved your sorry ass back on the Storm Coast. I'll also be your traveling companion to that shemlen Conclave."

Mynh stopped chewing and finally looked up at her. Shylisyrr stood there with a smug look on her face as if she were expecting him to thank her. 

Instead, Mynh just shrugged and said, "Okay, thank you," in the most casual tone that he could manage.

Shylisyrr wrinkled her nose in frustration. "You ungrateful... whatever. Be sure that you're up early tomorrow morning. I'll be leaving shortly before sunrise... with or without you."   
With that, she turned around and exited his tent. Mynh was slightly disappointed since he forgot to ask for a second helping of food.

***

The next morning, Mynh was up before anyone else so he could wash himself in the nearest river. He was unsure when exactly the last time that he was was able to bathe, but from the stickiness of his skin, he guessed that it had been quite some time.   
He had not ventured out of the camp--or into the camp, for that matter--and therefore still needed to search for any nearby rivers. He gathered his knives and bow before exiting his tent and slinking out of the campsite. You can never be too careful, he thought with a bitter smile.  
Mynh did not have to walk far before finding a suitable river. There was a halla drinking from the river nearby, but they did not seem to mind when Mynh approached. He was careful to not get too close to the halla so that he would not scare it. He sauntered over to a tree that stood a few feet away and set his bow and knives down at the base of it. Mynh watched the halla for a moment with a dreamy smile on his face, noting how he had never really gotten the chance to look at one in such a vulnerable state. They were graceful creatures; and he wondered then why his father had wanted to hunt them. Mynh couldn't fathom wanting to harm such beautiful creatures and felt a pang of guilt when he thought about all of the halla that he and his father had killed to sate their hunger. Mynh closed his eyes and murmured his apology to the lone halla, as if it had the ability to forgive him--or understand him, for that matter. Instead, the halla looked up at him for a regarding him with beady eyes for a short moment before dipping its head down to continue drinking from the river.   
He smiled slightly before moving away to undress. He looked down at the rumpled pile of clothes laying before him and noticed that he was wearing a different set of clothing from when he was ambushed. He wondered what had happened to his old clothes. He would be disappointed if he had lost his fur coat. It held sentimental value as it was the fur of the first great bear that he killed on his own. That was probably the only time that his father let him know that he was proud of him.   
Mynh bent down a bit to carefully unravel the bandage around his thigh. Luckily, the wound had healed nicely. He could hardly tell that he had been struck by an arrow. He silently gave his thanks to whoever had tended to him while he was recovering, since they were obviously skilled.   
Finally, Mynh slowly waded into the river. The water was fairly chilly, making him shiver a bit as he stepped in. The river wasn't too deep, only reaching above his waist. However, the temperature of the water was a welcome contrast against the current weather which was uncharacteristically humid for this time of day. Mynh slowly scooped as much water as his hands could contain and slowly poured the water over his head, relishing the feeling of the cool water against his skin.  
Wordlessly, he continued to wash himself off in the river before he caught a murky glimpse of his reflection in the river. Mynh was taken aback at how unhealthy he looked--when was the last time that he had gotten a chance to look at himself? There were dark circles under his eyes and his cheekbones were sharper than usual. His normally tan skin seemed to be pale.   
His eyes, which were usually a bright gold, now seemed like a dull and dead replica. He wondered if he looked like this because of his recent injuries, or because of the stress that his father had been putting him through.   
Mynh's hair was now medium in length and he frowned as he ran a hand through his wet hair, which seemed to be more of a dark grey rather than jet black. He looked awful. He grimaced as he reached for one of his knives that lay at the foot of the tree and quickly chopped off a portion of his hair so that it fell just above his shoulders.   
Shaking the excess water out of his hair, Mynh stepped out of the river. He got dressed fairly quickly after drying his body off and picked up his bow and knives before making his way back to the Dalish camp.   
When he reached his tent, he saw Shylisyrr and Keeper Deshanna standing next to two harts. The larger hart was a rich shade of red with a long white streak that ran along its side, while the smaller one was a pale violet and sparsely dotted with uneven black spots. 

When Shylisyrr saw Mynh approaching, she gave a slight nod of her head. "Oh, so you made it. I was about to leave without you."

Mynh ignored her as he walked over to the Keeper. "Hello."

"Hello, Mynh," said the older woman as she smiled. "This red hart will be yours--take good care of her."

Awkwardly, Mynh had to fight back a grin as he reached out to pet the animal. She was truly beautiful. "Does she have a name?"

Shylisyrr snickered. "What's with that expression? You having indigestion?"

Deshanni glared at the young woman beside her before turning back to Mynh to hand him a large fur coat. "Her name is Fae. Her previous owner loved her dearly, so please take good care of her."

Mynh had a feeling that this was a story that was a sensitive issue as both Deshanni and Shylisyrr's expressions instantly darkened. He decided it would be best not to ask.

Deshanna sighed before continuing: "I apologize for having forgot about this earlier, Mynh, but here is your coat. I washed it a bit for you as it was stained with dirt... and blood..."

Mynh mumbled his thanks before gingerly taking his coat from the old woman.

Deshanna cleared her throat before speaking again. "You and Shylisyrr are to head ahead of the rest of the clan as the Conclave will start soon. I doubt that we will be able to make it time, but we will at least try to meet back up with you two down in the Hinterlands. Travel safely, da'len," Deshanna offered a kind smile before turning to Shylisyrr. "Don't let your hotheadedness get the best of you, Shylisyrr. Please, stay safe."

The red headed elf only grunted as she mounted her hart. 

"Well, Mynh?" she enunciated his name in an effort to mock him. Mynh realized that she was probably still irritated with him for being so stubborn about it when she had asked him the night before.

Mynh mounted his hart and looked down at her, suddenly feeling nervous about the journey that lay ahead of him. He shook his head as he patted Fae on the back of the neck. Shylisyrr noted the strange look that stole across Mynh's features for only a second before it was replaced by his usual carefree expression.

"Yeah. Let's go." 

He spurred his hart onwards towards the south, Shylisyrr following closely behind him.


	4. the promise of the future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it seems that I have a lot more free time than I thought. I've been spending more time traveling than actually... well, vacationing. I really like how this chapter turned out - I hope you do, too! A lot of bonding between Mynh & Shylisyrr happens here. I'm really enjoying writing the two of them.

The two hunters rode in silence for the first hour of their journey. The sun had just risen, and Mynh was enjoying what he expected to be one of the precious few moments of calm during his travels. He looked around at the passing surroundings, noticing how the sun's rays shone on the forest in such a way that it seemed vibrant with life. He closed his eyes and tried to revel in the feeling of peacefulness that the forest never failed to evoke in him. Smiling to himself, he scratched Fae tenderly behind her ear and trusted her to bring him to his destination.  
Shylisyrr, who had been following from behind, spurred her hart forward so that she was riding side-by-side with Mynh. He pretended not to notice her and kept his eyes closed.

"So is what the Keeper said true? That you're a hermit?"

Mynh furrowed his eyebrows, annoyed that she had interrupted the blissful silence. He sighed before opening one eye to look at her. 

"I suppose."

"Ugh, you're no fun to talk to, you know that?"

Mynh raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose before he turned to look at the other hunter, giving her his full attention. He realized that Shylisyrr would continue to bother him until he chose to comply.

"Speaking with you isn't exactly enjoyable, either."

She gave him a crooked grin before replying. "Oh, I'm a great person to talk to, kid. It's just that I don't know if you can be trusted. You are a stranger, after all."

"Well I guess that makes two of us, then," he winked before adding, "and why do you keep calling me a 'kid'? We're about the same age, aren't we?"

At that, Shylisyrr threw her head back and let out an obnoxious laugh--if Mynh could even call it that. It was more of an ungodly snort that transitioned into an unsuppressed giggle. He was sure that all the animals in the area had fled at the sound.

"I don't mean it literally; it's what I call everyone. Except the Keeper, of course. She'd probably shoot fire out of her eyes."

Mynh began to chuckle but concealed it as a slight coughing fit. He turned away from Shylisyrr because he was unsure if he'd be able to hide the smile that was threatening to crack the imaginary mask that he had crafted to protect himself. _Smooth, Mynh. Very smooth._

Shylisyrr waited for Mynh to face her before continuing. "Since we're going to be traveling buddies for a while, we should at least get to know each other. I'd get bored after a while without someone to talk to."

"Maybe for you, but I'd be perfectly fine with the silence. I was enjoying it, actually."

The elf beside him frowned as she threw her hands up in frustration. "Why do you have to be like that? I was the one that saves your life, if you happened to forget... what were you doing out along the Storm Coast in the first place? Surely you must've known that the area's rife with a bunch of lowlife bandits and mercenaries. You're just lucky for having not run into the darkspawn. I don't know if you would have still been alive, then."

Mynh bit his lip as he thought about whether he should tell her the truth or lie. He decided, after a few seconds, to just be truthful. She would be his only companion, after all. It wouldn't be in his best interest to wall her out.

"I was traveling northward with my father to Ostwick. We stopped along the Storm Coast to rest and hunt. I had never been to that area before, so I was unaware how dangerous it was. I know that those bandits would not have been a problem were I not so exhausted. It also would have helped if my father had thought to warn me of the potential danger." 

_Does my father even care that I'm missing?_

He tried to shake these thoughts from his head. He wouldn't let his father spoil his new freedom even when he wasn't physically with him.

Shylisyrr noted how Mynh's calm expression seemed to sour when he mentioned his father. She decided not to ask him about it then since it looked to be a sensitive topic for him. 

"Oh... I see. So, what do you hope to see out here then?" She steered the conversation in another direction to a topic that she hoped would be more comfortable for Mynh. _If only my father could see me now. He'd be rolling in his grave._

"I haven't really thought about it yet. I guess I'll just leave it all to chance. It's how my father and I have always done it."

Shylisyrr snorted. "Chance? Yeah, because that's worked out so well for you." 

She smirked when Mynh glared at her. "What? I'm not wrong, am I?"

The man was silent for a second as he thought carefully about what she had said. 

"I suppose so. But to be fair, my unfortunate ambush may not have been that bad, after all. If I was not attacked in that forest, I would still be roaming the lands with my father. I would not have had the opportunity to come out here and see all of this," he raised both of his arms to motion to the lovely green forest that seemed almost like an idealized painting, "... I've only been away from him for a while, but I've already been able to experience so much." 

Shylisyrr eyed him curiously, noticing the smile in his golden eyes that betrayed his usually calm demeanor. She also realized that this was the first time that she had really gotten a good look at Mynh; when they had first met in his tent, the sun had already set so it was too dark to make out any features.  
She saw how thin and sickly he looked, and a small part of her worried for him. He looked to be about ten years older than she was, but she knew that was untrue as he had told her that they were most likely around the same age. Despite his battered appearance, however, she saw an undeniable determination in his eyes that lit up like the rays of the sun itself. For a second, she was reminded of her father and looked down to hide her growing smile.

She sighed softly as she took a moment to regain her composure and sat up straight to address him: "I guess that's true. Had it been anyone else, I'm sure they would only look at the negative aspect of what had happened to them. You, on the other hand," she raised a finger to poke him firmly against his sternum, making Mynh's eyebrows shoot up as he fumbled to swat her hand away from him, "... have chosen to see the positive side of things. Good for you, kid. Five points."

Mynh was said nothing and merely stared at her, mouth slightly agape. He coughed awkwardly, making Shylisyrr chuckle.

"Five points? So we're on a points system now? Whatever for?"

"That shows how much I like you. Don't worry; everyone I meet's on my points system. Right now, I'd say you have negative four points," she winked at him playfully and continued when he said nothing, "keep it up, and you may even get on my good side."

Mynh snorted and adopted a look of faux disappointment. "Negative four? I guess it could be worse."

The other elf winked and gently kicked the side of her hart, making it run faster so that she was now ahead of him. Shylisyrr smiled slightly at how much Mynh had reminded her of her late father, even though she still knew little about the golden-eyed elf. It was also on crisp, sunny days like this that her father would take her deep into the forest to teach her how to hunt. She rubbed away the all too familiar burning in her eyes that were usually followed by tears. It had been years since her father passed, but speaking with Mynh had reminded her of him. It wasn't as if she had forgotten about her father--Creators, no--but she had to put aside personal feelings so that she could be strong for her younger sister. After all, she was really the only family that she had left. She sometimes wished that her sister were old enough to remember her father, but also thought it best so that she wouldn't have to experience the searing pain that came with losing someone dear to you.

Mynh smiled as he watched the way Shylisyrr's messy bun had not yet come undone from how fast she was riding. She was not a friend, but he realized that maybe traveling with her would not be as bad as he originally thought it would. Contrary to his original impression of the woman, she was actually very playful--a sharp contrast against his irritatingly stoic father.  
He thought about what the future would hold in store for him and Shylisyrr, and what would happen once they made it to the Conclave.

_Maybe one day we can even become... friends._


	5. trust me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really tired so I'm not sure how many spelling/grammatical errors this chapter has, but I'll try to fix it in the morning.

Shylisyrr and Mynh had only traveled for about half an hour before they encountered the first sign of trouble. Shylisyrr slowed her hart and raised a hand to signal Mynh to stop. She swung her legs over the right side of her mount and gracefully dropped down silently. Mynh slid off of his hart as well and moved his right hand to his knife, unsure as to what had caused Shylisyrr to stop.  
She slouched forward slightly, moving towards a bald spot on the forest floor that had been blackened. Upon closer inspection, she found a series of scorch marks which spread to other spots on the ground nearby, and also to the bases of some trees.   
Mynh scratched his head at the sight of these burn marks. He saw no reason for concern as he guessed that the burns were the result of a careless or inexperienced camper.

"Let's go. It was probably a campfire that got too out of control."

Shylisyrr looked up at him with an odd look on her face. The genuine expression on the man's face told her that he was completely serious. 

"No way. This isn't anything normal--this is magic. Can't you feel it? Plus, these scorch marks are too concise to be an accident. Judging from the way that they're spread, there was a little skirmish in this area..." she said as she bent down to point out the final flickers of lingering embers, "...and it was pretty recent, too."

Mynh opened his mouth to ask her what she meant by him being able to "feel it", but then suddenly noticed the slightest current of electricity that zapped his skin every once in a while. He rubbed his arms and found that he had goosebumps despite the humidity in the forest, and even thought that he could hear a faint humming in his ears. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable and shivered, wanting to get out of there. 

"Oh... that."

Shylisyrr nodded once before suddenly bringing her finger to her lips and motioning for Mynh to move out of the way. Just then, Mynh heard the sound of boots crunching on dry leaves and the humming in his ears grew louder. He moved behind the tree that stood a few feet away from where Shylisyrr still was, looking to see her with her bow and arrow already drawn. He peered around to see a man walking slowly towards Shylisyrr before stopping a few yards away with her, hands in the air. 

"Stand back before I kill you, shem."

Mynh wondered how she was able to keep her voice so calm when they could both physically feel the alarming amount of magic emanating off of the newcomer.

"Now, now. I wouldn't go around threatening every stranger I see, if I were you." The man flashed a hideous smile which revealed a set of crooked, greying teeth. Mynh found that the man had an frightening amount of blood smeared on his torn clothes and skin and looked to Shylisyrr who continued to maintain an expression of indifference. He wondered if she was scared like he was, for he had never encountered a mage up close before. A part of him hoped that it was at least animal blood, but he knew that was not the case.

"I. Said. Stand. Back." Shylisyrr adjusted her aim so that her shot would line up right between the man's eyes. She didn't think that it would be possible for the man to grin any wider, but his grin was so wide that she thought it would tear his face in two at any second. 

"Must you be so aggressive? Are all of your people this... savage?" His eyes flickered for a split second just to the right of Shylisyrr, and she instantly knew that the man had not come alone. 

She shook her head and sighed. _Of all the rotten..._

She released her arrow, letting it fly straight to the mage. As expected, he was able to deflect it with a ward, but it was just enough for Shylisyrr to roll backwards so that she had both of her attackers in sight. She quickly fired an arrow at both men and scampered up the tree behind her with ease, trying to get a better vantage point to fire from. Before she reached the desired branch, however, the mage had fired a well-placed spark of electricity which was just enough to singe her lower calf, making her cry out in pain. Thankfully, she managed to pull herself up onto the branch and fired a couple more arrows. Unfortunately, her aim had become a tad sloppy as her vision was blurred by the unrelenting pain from her burn. The two men smiled as they continued to fire at her with arrows and magic.  
Mynh was thankful for the shadows that the trees provided and used them to his advantage. He pretended as if he were just hunting an animal in the forest, and moved in such a fluid motion that neither Shylisyrr nor the two men had noticed him approaching. Mynh snuck up behind the non-mage, who was readying another arrow to fire at Shylisyrr, and took out his knife. He hesitated for a moment and squeezed his eyes shut before pulling the archer's jaw upwards and using his other hand to cleanly slit his throat before the man even knew what was happening. Mynh cringed a bit a thin stream of warm blood from the archer's throat oozed out in between his fingers.   
The mage suddenly turned to him, shocked to find the elf placing the lifeless body of the archer (who was considerably larger) on the ground.  
The mage's mouth dropped in surprise before regaining his senses to firing a fireball at Mynh who dodged with ease. The mage seemed to momentarily forget about Shylisyrr as he obviously found Mynh to be a bigger threat. Shylisyrr would normally have hated to have been outshined like this, but mumbled a silent thank you before she readied another arrow. She took a deep breath and tried to focus through the pain, releasing the arrow when she had found her mark. Surely enough, the arrow flew straight into the man's left bicep, making him yelp as he scrambled to pull the arrow out. Mynh took this opening to fire his own arrow straight into the man's heart, instantly killing him.  
Shylisyrr breathed a sigh of relief before clambering back onto the trunk to slide down. She hit the ground with a very graceless flop.   
Mynh bent down to grab a poultice from the body of the mage and ran over to Shylisyrr, crouching beside her. He moved his hand to her face to remove her matted hair from her eyes. 

"I'm alright. It's nothing."

Mynh looked at the burn on her leg and furrowed his brows. "It doesn't look like nothing. If anything, it looks terrible."

Shylisyrr tried to play it off with a slight snort, but yelped when Mynh had tried to gently adjust her leg so that he could inspect it. Mynh quickly apologized and let go of her leg.

"Yes, this most definitely is not nothing. This needs to be treated right away. The wound itself may not be a big issue, but if it has a chance to get infected, you'll end most likely lose this leg."

"...So what do we do?"

Mynh looked around, trying to get a good read on their surroundings. "Well, I can't treat you out in the open, so we need to find somewhere to stay for a while. In the meantime, drink this," he said as he tipped the lip of the poultice towards her lips,"can you walk?" 

Shylisyrr downed the poultice in one gulp and nodded as she moved to stand up, but fell flat on her face as a searing hot pain shot up through her leg. 

Mynh frowned down at her. "Try not to hate me for this," he said as he picked her up with both arms. Shylisyrr was surprised that he could even carry her; he was just as thin as she was.  
Mynh walked slowly towards their harts, trying to be as gentle with her as possible. He wondered how he was going to get Shylisyrr onto the harts and smiled as Fae, seeming to understand the situation, lowered herself just enough that Mynh could get Shylisyrr seated before sitting close behind her. He tenderly scratched Fae on the head as she stood up and made her way through the forest at a slow pace with Shylisyrr's violet hart following closely behind.  
It was not long before Mynh had spotted a small cave which was seemingly unoccupied, save for a few nugs. Fae bent down so that the two hunters could dismount safely. She made a noise of contentment before moving to an enticing patch of grass to munch on.  
Mynh apologized to the nugs as they scurried out of the cave, and carefully lay Shylisyrr on the ground. 

"I'll go gather some necessities. I'll be right back. I won't go to far, though, so just yell if you need me."

Shylisyrr nodded once before turning to her side to listen to the gentle sound of Mynh's bare feet moving on the forest ground and murmured a silent thanks before drifting off into a much needed sleep.

***

Shylisyrr woke to find Mynh sitting near her feet, dipping his fingers into a salve that he had just made. He gingerly pressed his fingers on her burn and rubbed the salve in with a massaging, circular motion. At first touch, the salve slightly burned which made her flinch. After a while, however, she found that it numbed the pain from the injury.  
Mynh looked up at her when she flinched. She noticed that he looked a bit disoriented and wondered why.

"You can go back to sleep. You look like you could use some rest."

"I could say the same of you."

"That may be true, but I wasn't the one who got seriously burned by a random mage in the forest."

She snorted. "You make it sound like it was nothing." 

She propped herself up on one arm to get a better look at the salve that he was still applying to her leg, and noticed that she was now lying on a bedroll. She wondered if she really was too exhausted to even stir when Mynh had moved her to the bedroll.

"I think I'm fine, now. You should get some rest. I'll be the lookout."

Mynh stopped applying the salve and shook his head. "No, I really think you need the rest."

"Kid, you really are stubborn. Trust me when I say that I'm fine. See?" she said as she playfully wiggled her foot near his face, "Now do yourself a favor and get some sleep. Please."

He considered it for a moment and finally nodded. "Okay. But if anything comes up, wake me up." He grabbed his bedroll and set it up at a respectable distance from hers before falling back onto it. "If you get tired, don't hesitate to wake me up."

"Alright, will do."

Mynh turned over to lie on his stomach before he was fast asleep. After a few minutes, Shylisyrr could hear a muffled snore escaping from his lips which made her chuckle.

_Oh, I am so going to bring this up tomorrow morning._

She smiled as she tried to envision the exact look on Mynh's face as she tells him about his snoring. She was extremely grateful that he had chosen to help her out today, though. The Keeper was right; she needed to be more careful. Shylisyrr couldn't afford to leave her behind like this. She couldn't bear the thought of not being there for her younger sister when she needed her. 

_Thank you, Mynh._


	6. it's never easy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got kind of lazy and skipped with the descriptions of some things, so I hope it isn't too bothersome. I tried to get to the damn Conclave as quickly as I could! I've spent enough time on Mynh & Shylisyrr as it is. I only skimmed instead of actually proofreading it because I'm really tired of writing of this chapter, so I apologize for any errors. Mynh will finally meet Cassandra, Leliana, Solas, & Varric next chapter though!

Three weeks had passed since Shylisyrr and Mynh had encountered the two men in the forest. Shylisyrr's wound had healed quickly thanks to Mynh’s salve which allowed them to stay on schedule. The Temple of Sacred Ashes was now only a few hours away.  
All was silent, save for the sound of the two elves’ harts moving slowly through the snow as well as the muffled chattering of Shylisyrr’s teeth. She slumped forward onto her hart and hugged it tightly, desperately trying to warm herself. Mynh chuckled as he shivered into his fur coat and cupped his hands to his mouth to try and warm them with his breath. 

“I wish that we could stop to light a fire right now so I can jump into it. This shem convention better be worth freezing my toes off for.” Mynh had to lean towards her to understand what she was saying because she was mumbling into her hart’s fur.

“Well, at least the hail stopped. It could be worse.”

Shylisyrr sat up for a second to glare at him before lying back down, grumbling something about lighting Mynh on fire. He snorted as he moved to nudge her on the leg, making her sit back up.

“What?”

He gestured to a small opening just off the side of the mountain path that was partially obscured by bushes and vines.

“We can rest there for a few hours, if you want. We need to make it to the temple before nightfall, though, so we can’t stay for too long. Maybe an hour or two at most.”

Shylisyrr nodded and turned to ride towards the cave up ahead. She dismounted and grabbed her knife to cut away the excess vines when a large spider lunged through at her, making her jump backwards. Her bow was readied even before she had gotten up and she immediately shot the arrow straight into the spider’s face--or what she thought was the spiders face--nearly killing it. She scrunched her face in disgust as the spider made a terrible spitting noise and shot another arrow at its back, silencing it.   
She grunted as she crouched by the spider’s corpse to pull out her arrows and quickly threw them aside when she found them already decomposing from the spider’s venom. She stood up and turned around to find Mynh standing a few feet behind her looking white as a sheet. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yeah?”

He shivered, but it was not because of the cold. “S-spider…”

The ends of Shylisyrr’s mouth curled upwards in amusement. She had not pegged Mynh as an arachnophobe. 

“Well, it’s dead now. The cave should be safe now.”

She walked towards the mouth of the cave and gestured him to step inside. Mynh continued to stand there and shook his head vigorously.

“There might be more inside.”

Shylisyrr rolled her eyes and parted the bushes so that she could enter the cave. It was a fairly small cave, and she was certain that no more than one large spider could have fit into it. There was nothing left in the cave except for patches of moss as well as dried up leaves and, thankfully, a modest amount of dry bark.

“There’s nothing here. I promise”

Mynh waited a minute before following her into the cave. He thought that she was going to trick him, and started to sweat despite the frigid weather. Much to his relief, Shylisyrr was telling the truth.

She crawled around the cave, gathering all of the leaves and bark so that she could light a fire. Luckily she was able to get a fire started fairly quickly. She and Mynh sat right in front of the fire as they rubbed their arms to warm themselves up. They sat there quietly listening to the comforting sound of the crackling fire.

Shylisyrr looked at Mynh and was reminded of when she had woken in that cave a few weeks ago to find him applying the salve to her burn. She also remembered the odd look on his face that day, and wanted to ask him about it. She cleared her throat and tried to think about the best way to phrase her question.

"You know, on that day that I was injured by that magical asshole, I noticed that you were looking a bit… bothered. Did something happen? Have you never encountered a mage before?"

Mynh looked up and raised his eyebrows, apparently surprised by the sudden question.

"I thought you said the other day that I always look like that,” he said before chuckling softly.

Shylisyrr frowned slightly. She wasn’t sure if she was just tired, but Mynh’s laugh sounded a bit forced.

"I meant that you looked different from how you usually do. It looked to me like something was bothering you."

Mynh sighed and shifted uncomfortably, unsure how he should respond.

"You don't have to tell me if it makes you feel uncomfortable," she added quickly.

He sighed before shaking his head. "No, it's quite alright. I-it's just that I've never..." he looked down as he began to twiddle his thumbs, which Shylisyrr noticed was something that tended do whenever he was nervous, "...killed anyone before. I'm a hunter - not a murderer."

"Oh. I’m… sorry, then. I’m sorry for bringing it up."

The normally talkative hunter was, for once, at a loss for words. This was probably the last thing that she had expected. She had assumed that Mynh had killed many from the way that he dispatched the two mercenaries in the forest with ease. It seemed that Mynh and his father were a lot better at avoiding people than she thought.

"No, it’s alright. Really. Nothing I could've done would have prepared me for that. It was... not what I expected. After I had cut his throat, I felt him squirming in my arms... desperately clinging to life. That moment when the squirming finally stopped made me feel… terrible. Of course, I was aware that if I had left you to fend for yourself that there was possibility that you would die. I just wish that it didn’t have to come to that, though.”

"Ah, well, thank you. I don't think I ever thanked you for helping me out. But don't let it go to your head, kid. Consider us even."

Mynh then smiled warmly at her and Shylisyrr noticed that he had been looking a lot better since they had first met. He looked to be back to his 'usual' self--at least that's what she thought as she had no idea what he looked like before. Still, he didn't look like he was ten years older anymore, which was a good sign. 

“Hey, and since we’ll be at that Conclave thing pretty soon, let me help you out a bit. You don’t have vallaslin, but I think that it would be a good idea to get yours now. It’d be in your best interest to distinguish yourself as Dalish, because we have quite the interesting reputation. You see, this area’s mostly inhabited by humans. Humans, for the most part, are afraid of the Dalish. They think that all we do is go off into the forest, performing weird blood rituals at midnight and kidnapping their babies so that we can eat them. Obviously, none of that’s true. As far as I know. Maybe there are some Dalish that actually do that--I don’t know them all--but that’s besides the point. The important thing is that these Shemlen believe it. And since you don’t have that much… ‘world experience’, you should use it to your advantage. They’d think twice before thinking to mess with you if they see your vallaslin. The process of receiving your vallaslin is supposed to be a sacred ritual, but this is a special circumstance, the Keeper has given me permission to perform the ritual in her stead. It was only if I thought you could handle it, and after traveling with you for a while, I think you’re ready. Of course, this is only if you want it. You’re not Dalish, right?”

Mynh pulled his legs to his chest and rested his head on his knees. He stared at the fire for a moment before he opened his mouth to speak. 

“I’m not, but I see what you mean. I really was not expecting this, to tell you the truth. But I agree. I’ll do it. Is it painful? And how does this even work?”

Shylisyrr bit her lip, trying to figure out the best way to explain the process to him. 

“You see, another word for vallaslin is blood writing. I would take this knife crafted from ironbark and apply this mixture made from halla blood, crystal grace, and royal elfroot, and sort of… carve it onto your face. Well, not carving, really. I’ll really just use the knife and apply a decent amount of pressure onto your face--not enough to break skin, of course--and paint the vallaslin on. The thing is, you can’t move or speak. If the pain makes you cry out, then that means that you aren’t ready. I’m sure you’ll do fine, though. And there’s one other thing: the mixture requires a bit of your blood as well. I have the rest of the ingredients mixed in already, so I would just need to draw blood from your right palm.”

She waited for Mynh to respond, but continued when he said nothing and merely nodded. He was taking this surprisingly well.

“Our vallaslin represents a god of our choosing. Mine represents June - God of the Craft. He taught the People how to create bows, harnesses, aravels… you name it. I can name the rest of the gods, though, if you want. Let’s see - there’s Mythal-”

Mynh shook his head. “No, I want June, too.”

Shylisyrr squinted at him. “That’s it? You don’t even want to hear about the other gods? You’ve already made up your mind just like that?”

“Yes. I’ve always loved crafting bows for myself and for my father. Sadly, that’s the only thing that he taught me how to craft. I’ve been very interested in learning how to forge weapons, but obviously I never had the chance to learn. I was hoping to be able to find someone to teach me once this Conclave is finished. I’m ready!” He scooted over to Shylisyrr so that he was now sitting right next to her.

She snorted as she opened her leather sack to remove the knife and the small wooden and placed them on her lap. As she took Mynh’s right hand into her own and lifted the knife to draw some blood for the vallaslin mixture.

“Close your eyes. Remember, you can’t move or speak.”

 

***

Mynh and Shylisyrr were riding quickly to reach the temple. The ritual to get his vallaslin had taken nearly three hours as Shylisyrr had to keep taking a break, and they were running late. The beginning of the ritual wasn’t too painful when she had tattooed his forehead and cheeks, but he thought that he was going to cry when she began tattooing the vallaslin around his eyes. His neck and lower lip were not very easy to sit through, either. He wondered why the Dalish couldn’t just pick a ritual that was less painful. At least it was done now.

Shylisyrr was about to ask him if he felt any differently after the ritual when Mynh stopped at the crest of the hill and pointed ahead..

"Look!"

Shylisyrr followed his gaze and was shocked to see a large crowd of people traveling slowly along the road. These were probably all of the other people that had reached the temple late and were now trying to make it before the Conclave started. She had known that there would be many going to the Conclave, but she did not think that it would be this many.  
Mynh was partly amazed yet partly terrified. He thought that the elves of Clan Lavellan were numerous, but after seeing the ridiculous amount of travelers all heading to the Temple in such a compact mob, he would rather have stayed with the Dalish elves. He was also surprised to see many dwarves and qunari there as well since he had assumed that the Conclave would be mostly a human ordeal, from what Shylisyrr had explained to him.  
He would have rather gone around the crowd as it would be difficult for their harts to move through such a large mess of people. The possibility of accidentally trampling someone to death didn't exactly comfort him, either. Unfortunately for them, the only way to reach the Temple was to venture through that tight mountain pass.  
Mynh and Shylisyrr both dismounted by one of the trees and led their harts to a spot that they could stay hidden. They all but ran down the hill towards the large mass of travelers and held each other by the hand as they tried to navigate their way through the sea of latecomers. Thankfully the two of them were able to weave their way through somewhat safely, save for a couple of stray elbows to the ribs or face. They both looked up to see the Temple of Sacred Ashes looming over them, though they weren’t able to get a good look as they kept getting pushed around. As soon as they were out of the crowd, Shylisyrr let go of Mynh’s hand and began to walk to where different groups of travelers had set up camp near the foot of the hill that led up the the temple. 

“I’ll look for a spot to set up our bedrolls. You should see if the thing’s started already. Try not to get into trouble, kid. I’ll meet with you later.”

Mynh smiled and ran up the steps that climbed up to the temple, opting to stealthily slide in between the people that were walking up the steps very slowly so that he could reach the building. He made his way towards the large wooden front doors and stopped when a woman in blue and silver armor moved to block his path. 

“No entry beyond this point.”

Mynh frowned at her. “Why not?”

“No. Entry,” the woman moved her hand to the hilt of her sword, making Mynh take a step back.

Mynh maintained eye contact with the woman for a few seconds before turning around to head back down the steps. He was halfway down to the foot of the hill when he began to experience the same peculiar feeling from the forest. Only this time, the sensation was more painful. It was felt more like the nerves on his arm were on fire. He looked around wildly as he was also beginning to hear the familiar humming which was getting louder by the second. 

_What’s going on?_

He decided to try and find Shylisyrr, when suddenly the woman that had blocked the door came bounding down the stairs. He looked around to see if she had found the mage that the power seemed to be emanating from, but instead she ran to a large fight consisting of four dwarves and a qunari near the campsite. He took this distraction to turn around and enter the temple, quickly closing the door behind him before anyone could notice. He normally would not have made such a brash decision, but the fact that the woman was willing to fight him rather than speak to him as well as the sudden surge of magic told him something was wrong.

He was about to find out that ‘wrong’ was a severe understatement.

Across the dimly lit hall lay another set of grand double doors. Mynh walked towards it slowly, careful not to make any noise. The closer he got, however, the stronger the magic became. His skin felt as if it were on fire and the soft humming was now a loud high-pitched buzzing. He covered his ears to try and drown out the noise when he clearly heard a low voice which seemed echoed eerily throughout the entire building. The voice overpowered the buzzing in his ears which allowed him to listen to what the voice was saying.

“Keep the sacrifice still.”

Another voice, now. A woman’s with a thick accent.

“Why are you doing this? You, of all people?”

Mynh closed his eyes and braced himself for this incredibly stupid stunt that he was about to pull.  
He raised his leg and kicked the doors wide open and ran in. 

“What’s going on here?”

Before him was an old woman dressed in red and white who was suspended in midair and a group of men and women in the same armor as the woman from outside. The ones who were armored were standing in a circle around the woman, holding their hands out towards her. A menacing red light flashed all around them, making Mynh’s skin crawl. The most awful thing, however, was probably the… thing… standing on the other side of the room. It seemed to be a large, hooded man robed in black. He had bits of what Mynh thought to be metal that seemed to be attached to his face. In his hand was a small silver orb which emitted a vibrant green light. He glided--much to Mynh’s terror--towards the old woman and held the orb in her direction, making the orb vibrate as the light grew brighter. The woman was floating nearly nine feet above the ground, yet the man with the orb was able to stand face to face with her. He spoke again in that strange voice that seemed to exist outside of time itself.

“Kill the elf.”

Mynh was already grabbing for his knives when the old woman suddenly swatted the orb out of the creature’s hand, making it roll onto ground a few feet away from where Mynh was standing.

“Grab it!” she managed to yell.

The creature growled as Mynh ran towards the strange orb, grabbing for it. As soon as he picked it up, lava seemed to run through the veins in his hand and through his arm that held the orb, making him fall to his knees because of the pain. He looked to see the hooded creature running towards him and held his free hand up to his face to defend himself when the orb suddenly opened up. The room grew dark for a split second as both the light as well as all of the candles went out before the full intensity of the green light spilled out all at once, seemingly erasing everything--and everyone--in the room.


	7. in chains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Mynh and Cassandra eventually get along? Who knows.

_Running for my life. What am I doing here? The fear is eating away at me, slowly but surely. I can’t feel anything anymore. Where am I? Flashes of light and the screams of those that have already succumbed. Is this the end? Trying to climb, but my arms are failing me. Another flash of light. I can’t take it anymore._

_Please, just let this be over. I have so much left to do. It can’t end like this._

_A woman standing above me, arm outstretched. I desperately grab for her hand, seeking an escape from this hell._

_Then nothing._

***

Mynh woke up in a daze, drenched in sweat. He tried to rub the fuzziness out of his eyes, but he found that both of his hands had been bound to the floor. His left hand suddenly flashed the familiar green light, making him cry out in pain. 

_What is this? What happened to me?_

He looked up after the pain had subsided and found that he was in some sort of dungeon. He tried pulling his hands free, but the iron cuffs were too sturdy. It was then that the large door in front of him opened, making him shut his eyes from the daylight that managed to seep in. He looked to see two woman approaching him - both looking to be frightfully well-armed. The woman that was wearing a hood stood by the door and simply watched him without a word. The other woman began walking in circles around him had short black hair and a long, jagged scar that ran along the right side of her face. Mynh felt as if she were some sort of predatory animal that had just cornered its prey--the prey being him, of course. She stopped circling around him and stood now stood directly behind him and leaned in over his shoulder, making him even more uncomfortable.

“Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you now.” Her accent was strange; but unlike the accents that he had heard at the temple. Hers was less exaggerated.

Mynh sucked in a deep breath and decided that it would be unwise to show them weakness at such a crucial moment. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to calm himself.

_Act like you couldn’t care less... no matter what happens. Don't let them see any signs of weakness. You've made it this far; don't falter now._

The dark haired woman began circling around him again as she stared straight him, as if trying to figure him out. Mynh stared back at her, refusing to break eye contact even when she glared at him. 

“The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you,” she said as she stopped walking. She narrowed her eyes at him, searching his face for any possible clues.

Mynh’s gut twisted and he had to swallow down the bile at the back of his throat. Everyone? Shylisyrr’s face flashed through his mind for a second before he shook the thought away, dismissing it. _No. She can’t be dead. She can’t possibly…_  
Mynh looked away and remained silent, making the woman grunt in growing frustration. She bent down to grab his marked hand and violently tugged it upwards. As if on cue, the mark yet again flashed with that almost otherworldly green light. 

“Explain this,” she spat.

Mynh pulled his arm away from the dark haired woman and grit his teeth to keep his mounting anger under control. He had absolutely idea what was going on, yet he was being interrogated in this dungeon by these two women that he had never seen before.

“I don’t know what it is.”

The woman snarled and grabbed him by his coat. “You’re lying!”

The other woman that had been staying silent strode forward and pushed her away.

“We need him, Cassandra.” 

Her voice seemed to be perfectly calm, making a part of Mynh wished that she had been the one speaking to him instead of this Cassandra. Still, his gut told him that he should still be cautious around the unnamed woman.

Mynh tried to put as much authority into his voice as he possibly could. “Let me go.”

Both women looked at him now, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Cassandra looked at him with nothing but barely-restrained fury, while the red-headed woman’s face was indifferent as she stared at him with cold, calculating eyes. Mynh shivered and willed himself not to look away as his father’s face flashed through his mind. He bit his lip and spoke up again after both women moved closer to him.

“I don’t remember anything. Except that I was running. And some flashes of light. Other than that, I don’t know what happened. I don’t even know what this place is. I do know one thing, though. Do you honestly think that threatening me is going to make me any more inclined to give you information?” he nodded towards Cassandra, who narrowed her eyes at him. “Let me go now, and I’ll see if there’s anything I can do to help. You two look more than capable--and willing,” he added as he smirked at Cassandra, “to kill me if I try anything. So there’s really no need to worry, is there?”

Cassandra grunted. “Is that supposed make us trust you?”

Mynh shook his head. “That’s not the point. You don’t really have a choice, do you? I’m asking you to let me go. Unchain me from these damn cuffs because they’re chafing on my wrists and it’s getting to be very bothersome. In return, I’ll see how I can help. Yelling at me and threatening to kill me is only going to make me want to make your lives exponentially more difficult. You help me, I help you. Simple. Isn’t there something thrilling about taking chances?” he flashed a mock grin and winked at Cassandra, making her let out an exasperated sigh.   
She looked to the other woman for her opinion. The redhead nodded slightly, and Cassandra bent down near Mynh to unlock the iron cuffs.  
Mynh allowed himself a small smile as he shook the stiffness out of his wrists.  
Cassandra didn’t move away. Instead, she stayed crouched next to Mynh and looked at him closely, as if trying to determine whether or not she was going to regret releasing him.

Cassandra stood up and turned to address the other woman. “Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take him to the Rift.” Leliana nodded before walking out of the door.

Mynh waited for Leliana to shut the door before speaking. “The Rift?”

“It… will be easier to show you.” Cassandra gave him a quick pat on the arm as he stood up and strode to the door to open it. The pale light seeped in through the doorway, and she motioned for him to go outside.

Mynh rubbed his arms as the chilly mountain air instantly enveloped him as soon as he stepped through the door. He heard the sounds of a storm and looked up to be greeted by the sight of what seemed to be a large tear in the sky. In the tear flashed the same vibrant green as the mark on his hand. Rocks were suspended near the center of the tear, and light was continually streaming down into the mountains below. 

Cassandra stood in front of him with her hands on her hips as she looked up at the tear in the sky. 

“We call it the ‘Breach’. It’s a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It’s not the only such rift. Just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the Conclave. Unless we act, the Breach may grow until it swallows the world.”

Just then, the entire sky seemed to flash brightly as the Breach vibrated and sent large balls of flame falling towards the ground. More tendrils of the sickly green light shot out of the tear and spread out across the sky. Mynh’s hand was pulled up towards the Breach and spasmed as the mark, of which he was almost positively certain was in some way connected to this ‘Breach’, making his legs buckle involuntarily. He fell the the ground and grabbed his shaking hand, trying to calm it, but to no avail. The pain he was experiencing now was a lot more painful than the episodes before, and he had to swallow hard to avoid vomiting from the pain. Cassandra ran over to him and helped him up, pressing gingerly on the lower part of his marked palm in an effort to somehow soothe the mark. Through the growing tears in his eyes, he saw that she was, in fact, concerned. Was it concern for him or concern for the possibility that they may never get answers if he were to die? He stopped biting down on his tongue when he began to taste blood, and sighed loudly when the pain began to subside. 

“Each time the Breach expands, your mark spreads… and it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn’t much time.”

Mynh furrowed his brows and looked at Cassandra. This… was not what he had expected. He originally had had no intention of helping the two humans, but after seeing the Breach, it was hard to deny that something of this scale could easily be ignored. He laughed bitterly as he remembered how the Keeper had said something about the Conclave having an impact on everyone and not just humans alone. This was most likely not what she had in mind, but at least she was partly right. 

“I don’t know if I would be of any use, but I will try my best nonetheless. A truce, then, until this is resolved.” Mynh held out his unmarked hand towards Cassandra, who, to his surprise, actually shook it in return.

This was certainly not the journey that Mynh had pictured.


	8. unfinished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO so I'm terribly sorry for not having updated this in a while. My laptop's been acting weird, so I had to focus on getting it fixed. I've also been working on commissions & watching a lot of kdramas on Netflix (lmao). This is part of the chapter that I've been working on, so I thought I'd just post it and let you guys know what I've been up to. I know it's kind of weird to just post part of the chapter, but I promise I'll write the rest of it soon. I've just been terribly busy!

The two slowly pressed through the throng of humans that were mingling along the pathway. As the bystanders saw Mynh, the loud chatter that filled the frigid mountain air instantly died down into frantic whispers as they parted to make way for the pair. Being in the center of such a large group of people made Mynh feel self-conscious. Despite the chilly climate, Mynh began to sweat. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to dig a hole and bury himself inside to escape from the prying eyes of the world around him. Instead, he forced himself to hold his head high and focused on surviving.  
Cassandra nudged him carefully from behind, goading him to walk faster. The two soldiers standing at either side of the large wooden doors bowed their heads slightly as they saw Cassandra and quickly pushed the doors open. Mynh felt the eyes of the two soldiers boring into his back as he passed through the doors and wondered, for a moment, just what they had heard about him.  
Mynh and Cassandra were almost to the top of the hill when the Breach flickered yet again, causing the mark on his hand to spasm. He doubled over and squeezed his hand in an effort to cancel out some of the pain, but to no avail. It felt as if the blood flowing through the veins of his left arm were on fire. He never thought that the pain could get any worse from the first time that he had experienced this, but the pain he was feeling now was exponentially more intense. He cried out and shut his eyes as he tried to focus on his breathing. He hadn't noticed that Cassandra was kneeling beside him with one of her hands placed carefully on his shoulder. Through the tears in his eyes, he saw her mouth opening, but he could not make out what she was saying. He tilted his head toward her, trying to make out what she was trying to tell him, but the ringing inside his head drowned out all outside noise. He shrugged Cassandra's hand away and fell flat on the ground and curled up.   
A few seconds passed in pure agony, but to Mynh, it felt like an eternity. When the buzzing began to subside, he could hear Cassandra's muffled speech. He opened one eye to see her kneeling over him, worry written all over her face.

"Are you alright?" 

He waited for the pain to die down before propping himself up on one arm to address her. 

"No, I am not fucking alright. I wake up to find this strange mark on my hand--a mark that you say is... killing me--I've also been made a prisoner by a bunch of shemlen," he spat as he wrinkled his nose at her, "that I've never seen before, only to find out there's a big ass hole in the sky as soon as I step outside. Why me, of all people? Haven't I suffered enough?" he slowly stood up and dusted himself off. "Let's get going. I want to get this over with as soon as possible."

Cassandra raised her eyebrows and merely sat there, speechless. She was most likely shocked by his sudden outburst since he had been relatively quiet before. She snorted before shaking her head slowly.

"And what do you expect? My pity? What you are going through right now is nothing compared to what will happen if we don't find a way to deal with the Breach. We've all had our struggles. What defines you in the end is how you chose to deal with them." She stood up and dusted herself off before turning to continue walking along the path.

Mynh grunted but remained on the ground. He stared up at the Breach while absentmindedly tracing around the mark on his left hand. The Breach were not threatening to destroy the entire world, then he may had even found it to be beautiful. He hated to admit it, but Cassandra had a point. His circumstances were certainly... unique, but he was going to have to brave through this if he wanted to make it out alive. Maybe if the massive tear in the sky somehow ended up not obliterating all of Thedas and its inhabitants, then maybe he would finally get to go on that adventure that he'd been dreaming of.


End file.
